Joyce Namugambe
The Katikkiro of Buganda Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga has safely returned to Uganda from Saudi Arabia where he had gone to be part of the meeting for the 21 member states of the world’s heritage committee meeting in Saudi Arabia which started on 10 September 2023.
Among the issues discussed in this meeting was a request to remove the Kasubi Masiro Tombs from the list of endangered heritage sites in Africa, which was put on the list after the fire outbreak that destroyed the Tombs in 2010.
The Katikkiro officially revealed to Ugandans that his participation in the meeting has witnessed the Tombs being removed from the list and re written on the list of the well off heritage centres which can now attract tourists, bringing in more money to the kingdom and the country at large.
Owek. Mayiga also expressed that when the request for the removal of the Buganda Kingdom royal Tombs from the endangered list was successfully accepted, meeting participants from different countries joined the Katikkiro to extend gratitude for the step taken an indication that all of them were behind the kingdom to take on the request.
He noted that when the reconstruction of the Tombs is done, the kingdom is planning to make more developments to the Tombs which didnot exist before, such as setting up facilities that get to the sandard that will favour tourists from differnt countries to feel comfortable when they visit the Tombs.
He added that they are to work on the management plans of the Tombs such mantainance of the Tombs through preservation of cultural and spiritual values, taking care of care takers, among others.
However, the Katikkiro revealed that he managed to meet the Buganda Ambassador in Saudi Arabia Amb. Isaac Sebulime and discussed about how the big number of Ugandans in Saudi Arabia who have been going through challenges especially torture.
He said that Isaac informed him that the Ugandan embassy is trying all means to save the lives of such workers and he appealed to people to keep remembering the King’s call of being careful when they go to some countries seeking for jobs as it risks their lives.
